A strong start from the Classic, number two is the headline news maker. The winner of the 2023 World Whisky Awards ‘Worlds Best Single Malt”. Awards are to be taken with a pinch of salt (dead sea salt I suspect; they would have beaten some absolute behemoths). But, awards also have a habit of making things unobtainable and expensive (cough Sulivans Cove cough). So, it’s nice to get to try this in anycase. The Elements Series from M&H is a range of single malts exploring the variety of flavours that different types of casks can impart (nothing new here). This particular expression was drawn from a combination of bourbon, Oloroso sherry and Pedro Ximénez sherry casks. N: Shy. This is a lot less forthcoming than the classic. So, shy. The oak is a dampener, sadly, and mutes what seems to be a musty-gristy malt undercarriage. Time in the glass does a little to help things be more forthcoming, revealing: metallic notes, leather and leaf litter, oily-stale walnuts. Do I get the vaguest suggestion of orange (or a memory of the last dram perhaps?). P: Full bodied and creamy, that is an excellent texture. The sherry influence is obvious as milk chocolate, light honey, raisins, and subtle bakery spice. The oak is understated and makes for a pleasantly balanced profile. The very back end of the palate adds a leafy herbal presence like peppermint or menthol that draws out a dark red cherry. F: Medium-short. Quite bitter, with oak tannins being a little too heavy and bakery spices leaning towards cracked pepper. Brown sugar lends a needed sweetness but its too little too late to maintain balance. First things first; this is not a world beating whisky. No way, no how. I don’t want to call shenanigans, but I can’t help but think some money changed hands on this one! The palate is undeniably enjoyable with some cute quirks, but the nose is shy and obfuscated by too much oak (a product of rapid maturation in a hot climate?) and the finish lost its way. At AUD$130 I would lean towards just about any other sherry cask finished scotch for a lower price and more unique, memorable, character…. …obviously I’m much cleverer than the judges at the WWA so I’ll expect my job offer in the post. Distiller whisky taste #243 [Pictured here with a empty glass (sorry) and sticking with a desert theme; a cluster of evaporitic gypsum needles. Gypsum like this grows from evaporating fluids supersaturated in calcium and sulphate. Such formations are common from salt lakes and dune systems in arid environments. These ones are from dune systems near Dallalinu in Western Australia. Here recharging groundwater dissolve ions and pass through sand dunes growing crystals as they go.] M&H Running scores Classic: 3.5/5 Sherry: 3/5